3rd person faces murder charge in stabbing death

EVERETT — A third person is facing a murder charge in connection with the April 23 stabbing death of Luis Verudzco.

Prosecutors allege that Martin Salazar was present when Verduzco, 23, was robbed, stabbed and pushed from a vehicle in Everett.

Verduzco’s body was discovered outside a vacant house off Broadway.

Salazar, 42, was arrested in February after detectives learned that he allegedly was with Derek Donnelly and Lathana Neese at the time of the killing, court papers said.

Witnesses told detectives that Donnelly was looking for someone to rob of drugs. Donnelly reportedly often referred to himself as a “stick-up kid,” prosecutors wrote.

The suspects are accused of arranging to meet with Verduzco, telling him they wanted to buy some methamphetamine. Investigators believe the group picked up Verduzco and drove around for awhile, smoking meth.

Salazar told police he was a passenger in the Dodge Durango and witnessed the stabbing. He said Verduzco attempted to jump from the vehicle at one point, but Salazar grabbed him because the Durango was going about 35 mph, according to court papers. He said he helped Donnelly clean up blood in the Durango after it broke down on the freeway.

Salazar told detectives he heard a couple of days later that Verduzco had died.